Life and Religion

Five Haitian-American pastors from Charlotte have visited their homeland since January's earthquakes. On March 7, Haitian pastors will be in Charlotte to give their first-hand accounts.

“Crises have a way to surface latent leadership” said Marc-Arthur Pierre-Louis, co-pastor of Centre International de Foi en Christ (Christian International Faith Center) or CIFC, a Haitian church in Charlotte, “and how you spend this new capital will determine who you really are and your true motivations in life.”

Two pastors who live in Port-au-Prince will visit Haitian churches in Charlotte to bring eyewitness to the disaster. Pastor Leroy Poulard of Tabernacle du Dieu de la Grace (Tabernacle of the God of Grace), Fontamara, Port-au-Prince, will speak at CIFC (4469 Hobbs Hill Drive) at 11 a.m., at 12:45 p.m. at Tabernacle du Dieu de la Grace (7041 The Plaza), and at 6 p.m. at First Haitian Church of Grace (2835 W. Sugar Creek Road) in a joint service between churches. Pastor Astrel Vincent of Centre d’Adoration des Ambassadeurs (Worship Center for the Ambassadors), Cité Soleil, Port-au-Prince, will speak at First Haitian Church of Grace at 11 a.m. and the 6 p.m. joint service.

“This is another opportunity to show a unity of heart and purpose” said Jean Telfort, who is on the pastoral staff of Steele Creek Church, a church with strong ties to Haiti and the Haitian community in Charlotte.

“The financial help has been so far directed toward the large NGOs, and rightly so, but the church in Haiti that is vividly witnessing the sufferings is an outlet that is ready and willing to help people from all walks of life,” said Joseph Youance, founding pastor of CIFC, “it is incumbent upon us to make it able,” he continues. Indeed the burden on the Haitian church to feed and provide shelter is tremendous.

“You learn to appreciate people as you live with them” said Jude St Cyr, pastor at Tabernacle du Dieu de la Grace in Charlotte. “Let's continue to strengthen our bonds, let these pastors come and speak to us, 'so we can fulfill all righteousness,'” he said, quoting the words of Jesus.

St Cyr, former pastor and founder of Tabernacle du Dieu de la Grace in Port-au-Prince, took Pierre-Louis and Youance on a tour of the disaster area.

“We will share what we have with them and send them home with something that will enable them to help,” said St Fleur Surin, pastor of first Haitian Church of Grace who has just returned last week from a trip to Haiti.